Homelessness scheme seeks landlords after 532 tenancies

Can a homelessness scheme work for private landlords as well as councils? SDM Property, a Southampton lettings agency, secured 532 tenancies through its homelessness scheme for homeless households in the past year, according to PropertyWire (24 September 2026). It is now expanding to Bournemouth and Portsmouth, and it is looking for more landlords.

How does SDM Property's homelessness scheme work?

The model connects private landlords with councils to provide settled accommodation for people living in temporary or emergency housing (PropertyWire). East Hampshire District Council and New Forest District Council support the scheme. Its aim is to reduce what councils spend on temporary accommodation (housing a council arranges while a homelessness case is resolved). It does that by facilitating tenancies with private landlords who might otherwise avoid letting to benefit recipients.

As part of the expansion, the agency has recently taken on approximately 10 units in Bournemouth and three in Portsmouth (PropertyWire). The cases include families housed in hotels because of a lack of affordable rental properties. They also include people facing sudden displacement when landlords sell. PropertyWire reports that the approach focuses on residents already within the community.

"We're a business and this has to work for the landlord as well as the tenant," director Mark Vine said. "But we've discovered that an agent can use its relationships with landlords and councils to solve some very real problems in its community."

What does the scheme mean for a landlord's numbers?

My worked example is short. PropertyWire's report gives no rent, no fee and no tenancy length. Without those, nobody can calculate your income, your costs or your liability on a unit let this way.

What the report does give is scale. For example, 532 tenancies in the past year works out at roughly 10 a week on average (532 divided by 52 is about 10.2). In the two new areas, it has recently taken on approximately 10 units in Bournemouth and three in Portsmouth. Those figures come from PropertyWire's report, and I have not seen them independently verified.

So the useful questions are the ones the report leaves open. What rent does SDM Property propose, and who pays it? What does the agency charge? How long does the tenancy run, and what happens at the end? If housing support will fund the rent, you may wish to check the Local Housing Allowance (LHA, the rates used to work out housing support for private renters). Our free LHA rates map shows it by postcode.

Once you have a proposed rent in writing, you may wish to test it in our free stress test calculator. And you may wish to speak to your accountant about how the income would sit in your tax return before you sign anything.

Why are councils turning to private landlords?

The pressure goes well beyond the south coast. In England, 135,580 households were in temporary accommodation on 31 March 2026, a record high, according to MHCLG's Statutory homelessness in England: January to March 2026 (published 13 August 2026). That figure covers England only.

PropertyWire sets the expansion against rental supply contracting across various UK markets. It adds that some landlords are exiting the market because of regulatory changes and tax pressures. For wider context, see our guide to property investment strategies.

SDM Property is now seeking landlords in Southampton, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and surrounding areas who have suitable properties (PropertyWire). "The private rented sector can't solve homelessness on its own," Vine said. "But there are good landlords with homes and local families who desperately need them."

Key takeaways

• SDM Property secured 532 tenancies for homeless households in the past year and is expanding its scheme to Bournemouth and Portsmouth (PropertyWire, 24 September 2026).

• The agency has recently taken on approximately 10 units in Bournemouth and three in Portsmouth. East Hampshire and New Forest District Councils support the scheme.

• PropertyWire's report does not give the rent, fees or tenancy terms offered to landlords, so the financial case cannot be checked from it.

• In England, 135,580 households were in temporary accommodation on 31 March 2026, a record high (MHCLG).

• Consider getting the terms in writing and speaking to your accountant before committing a property.